International Women’s Day feature with Krystal Eason, Houwzer

How do you define your leadership?

I’m a collaborative leader. I believe in the power of employee buy-in to achieve goals and as leaders, we can do this best for our employees by actively listening, requesting feedback, and providing regular opportunities to contribute. This doesn’t mean that every idea or request is implemented, but it opens up a dialogue for what has potential or what else needs to happen before we can tackle each suggestion, which in turn motivates the team to all move in the same direction.

How has your leadership changed in the past year?

I’ve embraced being more candid over the last year to an extent I didn’t in the past. I used to be fearful of offending or hurting the feelings of others, something that as an overly empathic person I found terrifying. After reading Kim Scott’s book, Radical Candor, I realized I was living out the characteristics of ruinous empathy and needed to not only care personally, but challenge my team directly. Doing so has opened up opportunities for my team to perform at a higher level, as well as contributed to organizational success by overcoming obstacles.

Can you share a story that demonstrates a key learning for you in your leadership journey?

You have to invest in yourself, even when you feel like you don’t have time. I made a career change five years ago from marketing to HR, which required me to actively seek out knowledge in the industry on a daily basis. In the last three years, I’ve become SHRM certified and have been working on a graduate certificate in organization behavior. Investing in myself with continuing education has allowed me to confidently and wisely lead our company through people’s challenges over the years, but has also allowed me to grow as a person.

Check out the stories of other incredible women leaders in the marketing and communications industry.

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